MUD, Sweat n Gears-supported rider Amy Jo Hansford has been putting in some top performances in her first full year of competing at the top

level of UK elite women’s mountain biking.

Currently the 23-year-old from Winterbourne Abbas is standing in third place overall in the national XC series.

She has won the Southern XC race series by winning every round by some distance as well as winning the Southern Regional Championships, all of which is probably better than Hansford could have dreamed off in her first year.

Hansford has just taken part in the National Championships at Cannock Chase.

This event is the pinnacle of XC MTB in the UK with all the top riders vying for the coveted National Championship jersey so a top-10 finish was a high goal for her.

After overnight rain, the course started slippery but dried during the race and the rider worked hard to exceed her top-10 target, passing

riders in the early laps and finished an amazing fifth in the Elite women’s race.

This despite being slightly late for the start seeding and having to come from the back row, a small mistake that I’m sure won’t be repeated.

After the race a tired but happy Hansford said: “I was delighted to finish fifth, my best national result so far. It was a great course, a good mixture of single track, berms, rocks and mud.

“There is just one national race left in a couple of weeks time – I’ll be there at the start waiting for my name to be called”

A club spokesman said: “A huge congratulation to Amy Jo and a just reward for all her hard work so far this year.”